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New Orleans is a city with Old South charm, an air of mystery and multicultural appeal. Say jazz music, Cajun, Creole, gumbo or even voodoo and New Orleans immediately comes to mind. While tourists flock to the city during February and March for Carnival, New Orleans offers something interesting year-round. From the famous Bourbon Street and Mardi Gras to the less famous but equally intriguing swamp and cemetery tours, visitors will find more than one vacation's worth of things to see in New Orleans.

Tours

New Orleans has traditional tours of historic sites and popular areas such as the French Quarter, but also offers some unique excursions. Culinary history tours give visitors a lesson in how the city's unique cuisine evolved, the difference between Creole and Cajun foods, and a tasting of local favorites such as gumbo and turtle soup. Tours of bayous, swamps and marshes let visitors get a good look at alligators, waterfowl, swamp deer, snakes and nutria rats, which can weigh up to 12 pounds. Some of the most unique tours available are those that visit local cemeteries. Because south Louisiana is filled with swamps and marshland, coffins buried underground tend to come back to the surface so graves remain on top. Tours visit many of the city's famous cemeteries including Lafayette Cemetery and St. Louis Cemetery Number One, which is where the famous Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau is buried.

French Quarter

Tourists tend to think the French Quarter is synonymous with Bourbon Street, but the Quarter, as locals call it, is much more than a nonstop party destination. Designed in 1722 as a 6-by-13-block community, the French Quarter is the city's oldest neighborhood and cultural center. Buildings are a mix of French, Spanish, Creole and American architectural styles and often include cast-iron balconies and walled courtyards. Visitors can enjoy strolling the streets, which are lined with historic buildings and houses, restaurants, shops, and bars. Major sites to see on a French Quarter tour include Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral and the French Market, which is five blocks of open-air mall featuring locally made items.

Other Attractions

The Audubon Nature Institute (auduboninstitute.org) is a popular attraction and includes the Audubon Zoo, Aquarium of the Americas and Insectarium. Numerous art, history, nature, cultural and children's museums are also open and ready for visitors. Tourists might enjoy a trip to Backstreet Cultural Museum (backstreetmuseum.org) and the Presbytere, both of which house extensive collections of Carnival memorabilia. Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World includes a look at how floats are built.

Mardi Gras

While tours of Mardi Gras museums can be fascinating, they can't compare to the thrill of being in New Orleans during Carnival. For nearly two weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, there are nearly 70 parades. Thousands line city streets with hands open, shouting, "Throw me something, Mister," as parades roll by. The only thing needed to enjoy the festivities is to follow the theme "laissez les bon temps rouler," which means "let the good times roll."

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About the Author

Serena Brown graduated from the University of South Alabama with a bachelor's degree in communication. She has more than 15 years of experience in newspaper, radio and television reporting. Brown has also authored educational, medical and fitness material.

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